Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 454 453 Exchange
November 11, Saturday, cloudy.

The snow finally stopped. Tang Zhitong got up early and swept the road and outside the gate of his house.

Today's breakfast is a little different from usual, as there is an additional pickle called "silken brain tofu".

A while ago, Zhang Guifang made tofu and deliberately saved a piece because she couldn't bear to eat it all. So she followed her mother-in-law's example and made some shredded tofu.

Tang Zhitong also ate it when he was a child. This is a way of eating unique to some cities in Shandong.

It is mostly made in winter, and the process is very simple: steam the tofu, cut it into pieces and put it in a container, cover it and let it ferment.

The entire fermentation process takes about 5-7 days. When the surface of the tofu blocks becomes sticky, it means that the first step has been successful.

Next, boil some pepper water and pour it into the tofu, taking as much as you want.

The way of eating is different from stinky tofu and fermented tofu. Shredded tofu is best eaten with shredded green onion and ginger. If you can add two drops of sesame oil and stir it, the taste will be even more delicious.

There are many similar cooking methods all over the country, such as moldy tofu, spicy tofu, spicy tofu and so on.

Although it tasted delicious, Tang Zhitong didn't dare to eat too much, nor did he dare to let his family eat too much.

Eating too much shredded tofu can easily cause diarrhea, which is a mild food poisoning.

It is well known that people in Yunnan Province love to eat mushrooms. Every year, many people suffer from food poisoning, and quite a few of them become temporarily insane.

But what many people don’t know is that in terms of the number of food poisoning cases, Yunnan Province can only rank second, behind Shandong Province.

As for the reason, Tang Zhitong stubbornly believed that it was the poverty engraved in his bones that led to extreme frugality, and he was afraid of wasting even a little bit of food.

If the steamed buns are moldy, peel off the skin, put them in the steamer to steam, and then continue to eat them.

If the potatoes sprout, remove the sprouts and just stew them for a while longer before eating.

For things like milk and eight-treasure porridge, the shelf life is not a use-by date but is for reference only. You can drink it as long as the bag doesn’t bulge.

Even some household medicines can be taken even if they are expired.

As for the consequences, diarrhea does not count as food poisoning. As long as you don’t become dehydrated, you should never go to the hospital.

After breakfast, on the way to work, Tang Zhitong saw the snow-clearing team organized by the street and sanitation workers clearing snow on the main roads.

Although many people look down on sanitation workers who sweep the streets, most of them are on the payroll, and their leaders will not criticize them harshly or have their wages arbitrarily deducted.

Even if you are the leader of sanitation workers, you also have to sweep the streets. Everyone has a similar status, so who can look down on anyone else?

The situation was similar at the Post and Telecommunications College, where students were cleaning the road inside and out, and Tang Zhitong only managed a small section of the road.

"Hey, Teacher Tang, after you left yesterday, Teacher Zhou conveyed a rule in the school. Students are strictly prohibited from stealing carrots and cabbages. Once caught, they will be reported and expelled. There will be no leniency." Lu Jian said on the way to class after clearing the snow.

"Okay, thank you, head of the dormitory." Tang Zhitong secretly praised the college's execution ability, which was quite fast.

If there was no such discipline, Tang Zhitong felt that someone would really steal. After all, there was only a limited amount of food, but some people had big appetites.

What to do if you’re not full?
In the face of hunger and survival, what does face mean?

"Head of the dormitory, I have another favor to trouble you." Before entering the teaching building, Tang Zhitong pulled Lu Jian aside and handed him a cigarette.

"What's the matter?"

"Just exchange it for carrots. Someone will come at noon today. When you go to the school gate, can you take the lead? Don't bargain. The ratio is seven pounds for one pound, and some tassels will be given as well." Since personal interests were involved, Tang Zhitong was afraid of something going wrong, so he planned to find an insider. Most people would follow blindly, and with a leader, things would go much more smoothly afterwards.

"Well, it's not a big deal, no problem. Even if you don't tell me, I can't let you down." Lu Jian took on a lot of responsibilities. He couldn't control others, but in this matter, he owed Tang Zhitong a favor.

Lu Jian did not consider taking the carrots home with him during the holidays. Even without considering the risks on the road, it was still unclear whether he would be able to get on the train at that time.

After smoking, Tang Zhitong did not go to class immediately, but ran to the logistics department to find Wei Zhizhen: "Teacher Wei, many students in our class want to exchange carrots for food coupons. I have made a connection. A colleague from the escort department will come here at noon today. I will trouble you to arrange someone to weigh them then."

"No problem, don't worry, it will be absolutely beautiful! The escort has been promoted to the police station, and I heard that you have been promoted too? Should I call you Section Chief Tang?" Wei Zhizhen agreed readily, with a hint of embarrassment in his words.

"Hey~ Teacher Wei, you can just call me Xiao Tang." Tang Zhitong bowed and begged for mercy. Although everyone was in the same big system, there were several hurdles in between.

"Hahaha, it's such a blessing for your classmates to have a life committee member like you." Wei Zhizhen said with emotion after laughing a few times.

"Well, since I'm in this position, I'll do something for everyone to the best of my ability." Tang Zhitong said modestly.

"Haha, not bad, not bad. Actually, if you didn't come, I would have planned to look for you. I got news from the Material Bureau that I can go there to collect my salary for participating in the practice next week. Would you like to come with me then?"

"Okay, just call me whenever you go." Tang Zhitong agreed without hesitation.

As for why Wen Nuan Yue did not work for a full month, Tang Zhitong did not even ask. It is better not to ask about some things.

Lu Jian did what he said and cooperated very well at noon. He pretended to ask about the exchange rate and then exchanged all of it directly.

With Lu Jian's cooperation, colleagues from the escort department returned with a full load, and some students from Class 593 of the Cable Department were also very happy.

Lu Jian and other trainees chose to exchange all of them for national food coupons, and received 22 kilograms.

Some students also chose to keep a small portion for themselves and exchange most of it for food coupons.

There are also some students who choose to keep it and not change it.

No matter which one, Tang Zhitong didn't persuade them and just helped transport some carrots.

Of course, the quantity would not be so exact. In the end, there were still about 150 kilograms of carrots that had not been exchanged because the food coupons brought by the escort department were not enough, and also because two students took a break, the last trip was late.

About 150 kilograms could be exchanged for more than 20 kilograms of national food coupons. Tang Zhitong was a little embarrassed.

If he had to buy it with money, Tang Zhitong would not hesitate, but if he changed it to Mantianfei, the difficulty would increase. After all, he did not have many national food coupons and could not eat all of them.

"Why don't you give us some as snacks?" Seeing that the two classmates were pestering Tang Zhitong and asking him to think of a solution, Lu Jian came over to help.

"Alas, it's not easy to get some flying kites, so keep it." Tang Zhitong smiled bitterly and shook his head to refuse. It was so hard to change it out, and then change it back? I guess some people would feel uncomfortable. You have to admit what you said. After thinking for a while, Tang Zhitong said to the two students: "I'll tell you a way, see if you can accept it."

"I'll take these carrots away and try to exchange them for national food coupons. But I can't give you the food coupons now. It depends on when they can give them to me. I'll try to get this done next week."

Tang Zhitong had his eyes on the Beijing Library, but he didn't know whether the staff of the Beijing Library had food coupons.

The two students looked at each other and finally agreed.

After a quick lunch, Tang Zhitong skipped class. In the afternoon, he took more than 100 kilograms of carrots and a sack of carrots from two classmates and went to the Beijing Library.

After taking a break outside to smoke a cigarette, Tang Zhitong carried the carrots into the office building.

"Why are you here?" Student Wang heard a knock on the door. When he opened the door, he saw a sack. If Tang Zhitong hadn't asked him, he might not have recognized it.

"I'm here to bring you warmth." Tang Zhitong carefully placed the sack on the ground and greeted Jiang Ye first.

"Oh, you are so loving that you even send warmth to the office?" Jiang Ye responded to Tang Zhitong jokingly.

"Hey, Sister Jiang. To be precise, I'm here to bring you warmth." Tang Zhitong opened the sack, revealing the carrots inside, and showed them to Jiang Ye.

"Carrot? Where did they come from?" Jiang Ye swallowed subconsciously after seeing it.

"We grow it in our department and distributed some to students. Many of them exchanged it for food coupons. I talked about it with Xiao Wang yesterday, and she said that Sister Jiang might like it. I went back and shared some with my classmates." Since he was doing a favor for Xiao Wang, Tang Zhitong adjusted the facts. He couldn't just say that it couldn't be sold, right?
"Oh, thank you. Really, I have to make you make a trip. How do you change it?" After listening to this, Jiang Ye stood up, held his stomach and came to look at Carrot.

"I heard from my classmates that seven kilograms of carrots can be exchanged for one kilogram of national food coupons." Tang Zhitong picked up a carrot and handed it to Jiang Ye.

"Oh, this must be more than 100 kilograms, right? I don't have that many national food coupons." Jiang Ye took the carrots and looked at the large sack in front of him with an embarrassed expression on his face.

"One hundred and fifty-four kilograms, it's up to you. I can just ship the rest back." Tang Zhitong bared his big white teeth, not showing any sign of embarrassment.

"I carried it all the way here, and I want you to carry it back? Wait, I'll go out for a walk and find a few people who have tickets for you." After Jiang Ye finished speaking, he walked out with the carrot in his hand.

"Oh, by the way, Xiao Tang, the national food coupons may not be given to you today, is that okay?" Jiang Ye stopped and asked when he reached the door.

"It's okay, just give it to Xiao Wang next week." Tang Zhitong was mentally prepared for this and replied happily.

"Are you tired?" After Jiang Ye left, Xiao Wang carefully straightened her man's clothes and brushed off the dust on his body.

"Not tired, wait, there's another sack of tassels outside." Tang Zhitong saw that his hands were a little dirty, so he didn't do anything and wanted to go out and carry it again.

"I'll go with you." Student Xiao Wang pulled Tang Zhitong's sleeve and said.

"No need, just stay here and watch the carrots. They belong to someone else. The tassels are not very heavy. I'll be back soon." Tang Zhitong didn't care about his dirty hands and patted Xiao Wang's tender hands.

The carrot tops are fluffy, and a full sack weighs about fifty pounds.

When Tang Zhitong came back, there were already several older sisters or even aunts in Xiao Wang's office looking at the radishes, and one of them even brought a scale.

"Oh, there's another sack?" Jiang Ye asked in surprise when he saw Tang Zhitong carrying another bag in.

"This bag is filled with tassels. I picked them up yesterday and they have never been frozen. If you don't mind, share some and take them home to try." Tang Zhitong put down the sack and nodded to everyone with a smile. He only knew two people in the group and didn't say hello.

"Oh~ Xiao Tang is so thoughtful. Come, this is Xiao Wang's lover, Xiao Tang." After listening to Tang Zhitong, Jiang Ye hurriedly introduced him to everyone.

"What a talent."

"This young couple is truly a perfect match, made in heaven."

……

For a moment, all kinds of praises gushed out from the mouths of Xiao Wang's predecessors without reservation.

Tang Zhitong felt that this was the first time in his life that he had received so many compliments, and the smile on his face almost froze.

Fortunately, Jiang Ye changed the subject in time: "This is the situation, and the things are in front of everyone. You can change them according to your own situation."

Intellectuals had high salaries these days, but they were not paid for special rations, so they were no different from ordinary residents of Beijing and were also short of vegetables.

"Xiao Wang, how much do you want?" Before starting to exchange, an older sister asked Wang Jingwen.

"He gave out some to everyone right after they changed, but we don't really need them." Xiao Wang replied politely.

"These carrots weigh a total of 22 kilograms, which can be exchanged for kilograms of national food coupons. I'll exchange them for kilograms of coupons." Jiang Ye took the lead and also wanted to get his share.

"Then I'll change to three pounds."

"I want three pounds, too."

"Alas, my family has few national food coupons, so I'll just take two kilograms."

Within two or three minutes, all 22 kilograms of food coupons had been claimed. Xiao Wang kept them in mind. If these colleagues didn't send him food coupons, he would have to collect them from each office.

The people Jiang Ye brought in were equivalent to disguised guarantees. Tang Zhitong was not worried that they would not give votes. Most people still wanted to save face this year. If it were this time next year, Tang Zhitong would never do this. Without a ticket, you can't even take away a carrot peel.

Next, they were weighed one by one. The carrots were weighed evenly with carrot tops as padding, and no one cared about it. It was the same when buying vegetables and grocery stores on a daily basis. No one would give more, and everyone was used to it.

Xiao Wang's colleague took the food and left, and picked up a handful of tassels when leaving.

The last ones that were left belonged to Jiang Ye. He lifted up the sack and weighed it. The scale was so high that the beam was almost tilted back.

Tang Zhitong moved the weight further away, and the weight finally stopped at 40 kilograms.

"Why are there so many? Take some out quickly." Jiang Ye looked at the numbers on the scale and was very surprised.

"Maybe there's too much dirt? I'll leave it all for you, and you can just give the bag to Xiao Wang later. I still have to go to the office." Tang Zhitong used an external device to sweep the sack. There was dirt in it, but not much, definitely less than one pound.

Then those extra pounds are very interesting.

Tang Zhitong secretly sighed in his heart that Wei Zhizhen was a good person. He allowed a little more damage for his sake. He guessed that the situation at the escort department was similar now?
(End of this chapter)